Automatic food and package carrier



M. DODGE.

, AUTOMATIC FOOD AND PACKAGE CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED MAYII. 1921.

' 1,41 1,845. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

@Maa l.

l//ooaf MARTIN DODGE, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AUTOMATIC FOOD AND PACKAGE CARRIER.

Larnaca.

Specification of Letters Patent, A Patented Apr. 4:, 1922.

Application led May 11, 1921. Serial No. 468,681.v

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN DODGE, a citi zen of United States, residingat lVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Autom'atic Food and Package Carriers, of whichthe following is a specication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

The present invention relates to transportation, and more particularlyapparatus for conveying food stuffs, packages, mailand the like, andaims to provide a novel and improved carrier adapted especially for thedelivery of food or farm produce into the city or central station vforconsumption or distribution, and also adapted for use in deliveringpackages from the city or central station to the outlying or ruralsections.l

Another object of the invention is the provision of a light, simple andinexpensive carrier of that kind, whichv will have a minimum of deadweight, and which will be highly efficient for the conveyance ofcommodities to or from a trading station or point at a minimum cost andtime, thereby eliminating the present day high cost of deliver-ies bymotor-driven or animal-drawn vehicles.

A further object is the provision of a novel and improved carrierdesigned to travel on an overhead rail, from which the carrier issuspended, and including a light and simple construction and adetachable body or receptacle for holding the goods or objects to betransported.

A still further Objectis the provision of such a carrier includinga bodyor receptacle detachably supported ina novel manner for the convenientattachment of the body to and detachment thereof from the wheeled frameor carriage which can remain on the rail. y Y A With the foregoing andother objectsin view, which will be understood as the descriptionproceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangementofparts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges can be made within the scope of what is claimed, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

rlhe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,.wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carrier.

l? ig. 2 is an end view thereof.

The carrier includes a pair of ianged wheels 8 to roll on an overheadrail 4, and said rail can be supported from the lattice frame or truss 5which extends along the rail, and which includes a lower angle member 6on the outstanding flange of which the rail 4 is secured in any suitablemanner. The frame 5 is supported at intervals along its length by thecross arms 7 and 8 of supporting poles 9, and a rail can be located ateachl side of the poles, for the travel of the carriers in oppositedirections to and from a central or trading station.

The frame of the carriage which travels on the rail includes a tie bar1l connecting the axles 1() of the wheels 3, hanger bars 12 suspendedfrom said axles, and extending downwardly across the rail 4, and alongitudinal horizontal supporting` bar 13 se cured to the lowerterminals of the hanger bars 12. rlhis frame is extremely lightrinweight, although sun'iciently strong to sustain considerable weight. l

The carriage has means for the self-propulsion thereof along the rail,and, as shown, an electric motor 14 is supported on the bar 12% tofurnish the driving power. Angle brackets 15 are secured to the oppositesides of the supporting bar 13 and form a base on which the motor can beconveniently secured. The operative connection between the motor andwheels, as shown, includes an endless sprocket chain 16 `trained arounda sprocket wheel 17 secured on the armature shaft 18 of the motor 14 andaround sprocket wheels 19 secured on the axles 10, thus providing anextremely simple means for driving the wheels 3 from the motor. Y l

ln orderto furnish electrical current for the motor, a short trolleypole or arm 2O is pivoted, as at 21, to the motor, and has a trolleywheel 22 to engage and move under a trolley wire or rod 23 locatedunderthe rail 4, and preferably located within an inverted channel member 24ofinsulating material, toinsulate the trolley, and also protect it fromshort circuit when it rains or gage the `frame.

snows. The member 24 can be secured to the under surface oi the anglemember 6, and the trolley wire or rod secured within said member 24,-and the trolley is-connected to one terminal-of the motor, while `theother terminal can be grounded to the frame and rail to complete thecircuit. The trolley pole 20 is spring-pressed to hold the trolley wheelagainst the trolley Wire, and said trolley pole can be swung down toprevent the movement of the carriage, such as when loading saine orunloading, and the carriage is started by bringing the trolley wheelagainst the trolley wire. l

The body or receptacle 25 of the carrier, as shown, is of'cylindricalform, with its forward end ointed, to lessen the resistance, and saidbotycfan be of any suitable size and capacity. The body is suspendedfrom the `carriage frame, and, for this purpose, bands26 embrace thebody, and bails 27 are pivoted to the bands, as at 28, to en- The bodyor receptacle 25 has an -opening or mouth 29 at the top betweenthe bands26 for filling the'body and removing the contents thereof. ln order tosupport the'body from the frame, the ends ofl the bar 13 project beyondthe hanger bars 12 slghtl and have upper notchesy or seats 30 Afor thebails 27, which can be conveniently swungover said projecting ends ofthebar 13 to drop into said notches or seats, in which event the bails 27converge upwardly, to `eliminate the longitudinal swaying of the bodyfrom the'frame. The bandsj26 are therefore spaced apart longitudinallylfarther than the notches or seats `30`so`that the bails or hangers 27will be inclined oppositely when engaged with the frame.

Levers 31 are pivoted, as at 32, to the ends of" the bar 13 beyond thenotches or seatsfBO, `and are normally disposed at one side of the bar13 and project toward one another under the 'bails 27. These levers 31can be raised by hand for conveniently raising the bails 27 out of thenotches or seats and off `the ends ofthe bar 13, for convenienceindetaching the body or receptacle 25*when it has reached its destination.`Such levers can also be used for en-l gaging the bails over the ends ofthe bar 13 in applying the body to the carriage frame.

lylusing the detachable body or receptacle, the bodies of the carrierscan be used interchangeably, and can be detached from the `wheeledframes or carriages for convenience in filling and emptying the bodies,`and the carriages can also travel on the rail Without the bodies forreturn trips to haul additional loads, etc.

The carrier can be stopped at its destination, bythe termination of thetrolley wire 23, to-stop the motor 14, or the rail can be' 3 is raisedslightly, the roller 33 underinclined or other means provided for stop`ping the carrier, which need not be described or illustrated herein.

In order to prevent the possible lifting of either wheel 3 off the rail4, and toprevent the wheels jumping off such rail, it is preferable tosupport rollers 33 from the hanger bars 12 to be disposed sli htly belowthe vmember 24. Thus, when either wheel `neath will contact with themember 24, thereby preventing said wheel 3 from movinghigherortransversely off the rail.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is `1.'Acarrier comprising wheels to travel on a rail, hanger bars suspendedfrom said wheels, a supporting bar carried by said hangerbars, areceptacle below said supporting bar, and hangers pivotally connected tothereceptacle to swing over and seat on saidsupporting bar.

2. A carrier comprising wheels to travel on a rail, and having axles,hanger bars suspended from said axles, a supporting bar carried by saidhanger bars, a driving device mounted on said supporting bar forpropelling the wheels, a receptacle below said supporting bar, andhangers pivotally connected to the receptacle to swing over 95 saicll1supportingbar into engagement therewit 3. A carrier comprising a wheeledframe to travel on a rail and having hanger bars Y and a supporting barcarried by the hanger bars, said supporting bar having its endsprojecting beyond the hanger bars, and a receptacle detachably suspendedfrom said projecting ends of the supporting bar.

4. A carrier comprising a kwheeled frame to travel Von'a rail and havinghanger bars and a supporting bar carried by the hanger bars, the ends ofthe supportingwbar projecting 'beyond the vhanger bars,a receptacle,andhangers for the receptacle engageable gver saidv projecting ends ofthe supporting 5. .A carrier comprising a wheeled frame to travel on arail rand having hanger bars and a supporting bar carried by the hanger115 bars, the ends of the supporting bar proj ecting beyond the hangerbars, a receptacle, and bails pivoted tov the receptacle and engageableover said project-ing ends of the supporting bar, said supporting barhaving 120 seats to receive saidi bails.

6. A carrier comprising a Wheeled frame to travel on a rail and to besuspended therefrom, said frame having opposite projecting portions, anda detachable receptacle 125 saidframe having projecting portions with110 receptacle, hangers for the receptacle engagea-bie over saidportions, and means operable for removing said hangers off saidportions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

MARTIN DODGE.

